The Free Press, Mankato, MN

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July 7, 2009

Juvenile ID'd in graffiti case

16-year-old named because it's a felony case

By Dan Nienaber

MANKATO — Two teens arrested for a string of graffiti incidents gave police information tying them to damage done at several locations in both Mankato and North Mankato, according to juvenile petition filed in Blue Earth County District Court Tuesday.

Tyler Anthony Caputo, 16, has been charged with criminal damage to property, rioting and disorderly conduct. His juvenile court petition was made public because the criminal damage to property charge is a felony.

Two charges of first-degree criminal damage to property were filed against 19-year-old Joseph Jay Waltz in adult court Monday. His bail was set at $1,000 during a hearing Tuesday morning.

Police released a still photographs from a surveillance tape showing five people in the Mankato Place Mall after several graffiti incidents were reported on June 26. Profane pictures and words had been painted in several places, including a North Mankato church, a World War II memorial and several public buildings in Mankato and North Mankato. The buffalo monument in Mankato’s Reconciliation Park also had been painted.

Both Caputo and Waltz were interviewed by investigators after Caputo was identified as one of the suspects. On June 30, a man who recognized Caputo from pictures posted on The Free Press Web site contacted police, the petition said.

During an interview with a police officer on July 3, Caputo said he had met several people at the downtown HyVee at about midnight on June 25. He named other juveniles who were with him in the ramp the early morning hours of July 26, according to the petition.

When one of those boys was interviewed Saturday, he identified Waltz as a second suspect. He said the group walked to North Mankato before returning to Mankato to paint the buffalo monument and buildings in the downtown area. The boy said he acted as a lookout as others painted the church and other locations.

Caputo was interviewed again and Waltz was questioned for the first time later that day.

Through those interviews, investigators were able to tie both suspects and others to the graffiti painted at the locations in Mankato and North Mankato.

All of those interviewed gave differing descriptions of who was responsible for each graffiti incident, but Caputo and Waltz were both tied to the buffalo, the petition said.

At least one additional adult is facing felony charges.

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